Melbourne Victory recorded their biggest win of the season in a round which saw the finals contenders separate themselves further from the rest of the competition.
Brisbane Roar and Sydney FC drew in the opening game of Round 10 as Western Sydney Wanderers bounced back from their horror loss in Round 9 while the Melbourne City juggernaut rolled on.
But which Westfield W-League stars made w-league.com.au‘s Team of the Week for Round 10? Read on to find out!
Goalkeeper
Aubrey Bledsoe (Sydney FC)
They put four past Western Sydney in Round 9 but Brisbane Roar couldn’t breach Sydney FC’s goal on Thursday night, as their attack proved no match for Sydney FC’s star goalkeeper.
Bledsoe faced seven shots on target throughout the game and saved them all, including a stellar stop to deny Tameka Yallop what seemed like a certain winner late in the piece.
https://players.brightcove.net/5519514572001/default_default/index.html?videoId=6123130901001
Defenders
Rebekah Stott (Melbourne City)
The Kiwi international was irrepressible in defence for City as they notched a fifth straight clean sheet in their win over Newcastle Jets.
The 26-year-old led the match returns both on the ball – notching 116 touches and 94 passes – and off the ball, winning four tackles and 13 duels in her 90 minute performance.
She capped off her performance by laying on the assist for Emily van Egmond’s second-half goal.
Clare Polkinghorne (Brisbane Roar)
The Brisbane Roar captain was at the forefront of her side’s excellent defensive display against a potent Sydney FC forward line on Thursday night.
The Sky Blues only managed to fire one shot on target in the 0-0 draw as Polkinghorne led her defensive line with aplomb.
The 30-year-old won six of her eight duels, made eight clearances, six interceptions and four tackles to ensure her side would return home with a point.
Jenna McCormick (Melbourne Victory)
McCormick was a defensive rock and offensive threat for Melbourne Victory as they clinched a 3-0 win on the road against the Lady Reds.
McCormick made all of her tackles stick while winning six duels and making three clearances to go along with an assist for Rosie Sutton’s goal in the second half.
https://players.brightcove.net/5519514572001/default_default/index.html?videoId=6124588695001
Courtney Nevin (Western Sydney Wanderers)
The 17-year-old shined down the left flank for the Wanderers against Perth Glory on Sunday afternoon.
Nevin showed her offensive threat throughout the game, assisting Caitlin Cooper’s early goal with a dangerous cross before setting up the Wanderers’ third of the game, striking a long range effort which deflected off Glory defender Isabella Wallhead and into the back of the net.
Nevin laid 12 crosses, created three chances and made two clearances and interceptions in an impressive performance.
Midfielders
Emily van Egmond (Melbourne City)
The Westfield Matildas midfielder again delivered in spades for the league leaders as they notched their eighth straight win.
Her goal early in the second half – a pin-point finish into the bottom corner from outside 20 yards – sealed the final result for City, however, she was at her busy best throughout the contest.
Her 80 minutes on the pitch produced 103 touches, and 87 passes, in addition to creating three goal-scoring chances for Rado Vidosic’s side.
https://players.brightcove.net/5519514572001/default_default/index.html?videoId=6124557412001
Aivi Luik (Melbourne City)
Aivi Luik continues to excel in Melbourne City’s midfield as she put on yet another composed performance against the Jets on Saturday.
Luik laid 82 passes at an astonishing 95.1% accuracy as she helped provide control and poise in the heart of City’s engine room.
The 34-year-old put herself into 13 duels around the pitch and made four interceptions in a busy afternoon at AAMI Park.
Haley Hanson (Melbourne Victory)
The American midfielder was the unsung hero in the Victory’s win over Adelaide – delivering a tireless performance in both attack and defence for Jeff Hopkins’ side.
Putting in a full 90 minutes, she notched a team leading 77 touches and added a further 50 passes at 86% completion rate to drive her side forward.
The 23-year-old was also without peer in the defensive returns – winning seven of 11 tackles, 13 of 15 duels and posting four interceptions.
Caitlin Cooper (Western Sydney Wanderers)
Dean Heffernan unleashed Caitlin Cooper in a more advanced role against the Glory and it worked to great effect.
Cooper got on the scoresheet within three minutes, arriving at the back post to head a cross from Nevin into the top right corner of goal.
And she could have had more, taking five shots including a beauty from distance which Morgan Aquino had to scramble across to save in an all-round performance for the Red and Black.
https://players.brightcove.net/5519514572001/default_default/index.html?videoId=6124699326001
Forwards
Natasha Dowie (Melbourne Victory)
The Victory skipper proved a handful for the Adelaide defence as her side returned to the Finals Series frame with a commanding 3-0 win on Saturday.
Dowie lifted her season’s tally to five goals with a strike in each half at Marden Sports Complex – each combining her positional awareness in the box with composed first-time finishes.
Now with three goals in her past two outings, the former English international is finding form at the right time for the defending Premiers as they look eye key fixtures in coming weeks against some of the competition’s high-flyers.
https://players.brightcove.net/5519514572001/default_default/index.html?videoId=6124590231001
Caitlin Doeglas (Perth Glory)
Caitlin Doeglas was only on the field for 45 minutes, but Perth Glory’s second half fightback against the Wanderers was largely down to Doeglas’ noticeable impact off the bench.
The 23-year-old provided grit and spark for the visitors up top and created the equalising goal with a rapid counter attack, dribbling through Sam Staab, playing in teammate Crystal Thomas and feeding off her saved shot to poke the ball into the back of the net amongst a number of Wanderers bodies.
Doeglas won six duels and created two chances to go along with her goal to cap off a brilliant individual half of football.
https://players.brightcove.net/5519514572001/default_default/index.html?videoId=6124705154001
